Thirsting for an Ecological Alternative

Concerned about the problems associated with recycling the three- and five-gallon containers used with home and water office coolers, Primo Water has introduced a new “two-way” bottle that consumers can return to the company’s stores for refilling and recycling.

The large bulk water containers used with water coolers are too big to be handled properly by the plastic recycling equipment used by municipalities, requiring refuse and recycling system operators to invest as much as $300 million for additional collection and processing equipment, according to a press release from Primo Water.

Primo introduced the “two-way” bottles in May of 2005. Consumers simply exchange empty three- and five-gallon Primo Water bottles for full ones at any Primo Water display found in retail stores.  The company then cleans and reuses the empties or grinds them down prior to recycling, in order to avoid facility issues.

“With more than 350 million bulk water bottles being used by homes and offices today, the potential environmental issues created by a one-way proposition are staggering,” Billy Prim, founder and CEO of Primo Water, says. “We do not believe that consumers who are interested in a healthier lifestyle will tolerate doing something that’s good for their bodies yet bad for the environment.”

Primo Water, based in Winston-Salem, N.C., claims that it is the only national brand of purified and mineral enhanced bottled water exclusively available through a retail exchange program. More information about Primo Water is available at www.primowater.com or by calling (877) COOLER-Ø.